


14. "Is that blood"

by T_Hurricane



Series: Voltron: Stories of Klance (Fan Fiction Library: Challenge #1) [14]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betrayal, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Comfort, Confessions, Cute, Cute Ending, Eventual Keith/Lance (Voltron), Fan Fiction Library - Challenge, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Keith (Voltron) Whump, Love Confessions, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Gore, Missions Gone Wrong, Mutual Pining, No light, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Prison, Stabbing, Team Voltron Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 08:41:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30002238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_Hurricane/pseuds/T_Hurricane
Summary: Keith, Shiro, Pidge and Lance were betrayed by the aliens of a planet and captured so they could get sent off to the Galra Empire.When they wake up in total darkness, they soon realize that something is very wrong with someone.
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Voltron: Stories of Klance (Fan Fiction Library: Challenge #1) [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2175054
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50
Collections: Fan Fiction Library (Discord) Challenge #1: 20 Prompts





	14. "Is that blood"

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> For the 14th prompt of the writing challenge hosted on my Discord server, the [Fan Fiction Library](https://discord.gg/RuSjgxC68t): 
> 
> "Is that blood"
> 
> ... aaaaaaand we're back to angst and whump :D _*rubs hands against each other in wicked anticipation*_

„Am I the only one who gets the chills anytime one of these guys look at you?“ Lance silently asked while they followed the chief of the troops over to the head of command of their stronghold. 

Shiro, Pidge, Lance and Keith had been sent to planet Eraes by Allura after they had received their call for aid. 

Since they were just on their way to a Balmera to obtain another crystal for the Castle - a safety measure they hoped to never need - she had stated that Keith, Shiro, Lance and Pidge go to help the Eraeans while she, Coran and Hunk would be enough to carry out their mission with the crystal. 

„Yeah, somehow I feel like every set of their eyes is stabbing me in the back“ Shiro mumbled, just loud enough so that the other three could hear his response to Lance’s question. 

The Eraeans were a species of tall and almost gangly looking aliens with soft and pastel pink skin, and each had three pairs of eyes as well as four arms and thin tails. 

They were surprisingly strong, but thinned out due to long ongoing wars and battles with intruders on their planet. Lately, their enemy was the Galran Empire. 

Since they were now facing a common enemy that starkly outnumbered them in weapons, soldiers and ships, the Eraeans had decided to reach out to Voltron for help. 

„Is everything alright?“ the one leading them through the gates of the facility they were headed to and through what looked like a front courtyard asked them. 

„Yes. We were just debating how unfortunate it is that not all Paladins could come here to help“ Shiro just said, immediately switching to his diplomatic voice. 

„We are very sorry for that, too, but we understand that Voltron is merely a small group and that the universe is big, with many others that need help as well“ the man just said and turned around to look at them. 

His words may have been gentle, but the glare in his six eyes told a whole other side of the story. 

Keith shuddered at seeing the metaphorical daggers shooting out of the man’s eyes toward them. 

„But I am grateful for every Paladin we got, so please, let’s not waste precious time“ the man said, turning back around to walk ahead of them, „and get to business“ he finished, his voice suddenly extremely cold and calculating. 

„Business?“ Pidge asked, tensing up at the sudden change of aura in this man. 

„Business“ he just confirmed. 

„The Paladins of Voltron will be handed out to the Galran Empire in exchange for the safety of my planet. I just hope that one Paladin missing won’t destroy the agreement I managed to make with them, or else you will suffer the consequences“ the man said with a deadly voice and gave a nod to the side. 

Before they could react, the guards that had accompanied them suddenly all held blowpipes in their hands, probably having hidden them between the layers of their long robes. 

„Watch out!“ Keith managed to scream before a dart hit him. 

Keith stumbled, a bit thrown back by the force of the impact and the sting and burning sensation in his neck where the dart had hit him. 

„Keith!“ the other three yelled, and in that second three more darts flew through the air. All three of them found themselves collapsing only a moment later, a tranquilizer dart in their necks. 

„…What?“ Keith said and hissed when he managed to pull out his dart. He was still standing, and while the venom or narcotic on the darts had immediately knocked out Lance, Pidge and even Shiro, he was seemingly unaffected. 

„That is a good question indeed“ the leader of the Eraeans stated. 

„What is wrong with this one? The Galra gave us this drug specifically for the so called Humans!“ one of the men with a blowpipe stated. 

„Wich can only mean one thing. This one is Galran, too“ the leader said after drawing a blade. 

Keith waisted no second and drew his beyard, morphed it into a sword and got between him and his friends. 

„And why would that make me Galran?“ he hissed, trying to not show that he in fact was part Galran. 

„Because they are no fools. They would never have handed us a drug they could not resist if we were to double cross them“ he said flatly. 

Keith paled. 

The alien was right.

„And from the look you are giving me, I’ve hit a bullseye“ he added with a smirk. 

„Why would you betray us? We were here to help!“ Keith shouted in anger. 

„And you will. You will help us immensely - just not in the way you intended to“ he said with an almost sad and guilty look before he quickly composed himself. 

„Now let’s get this one knocked out, too. With all forces necessary“ he then ordered and started to attack Keith while the men around them drew swords and knives as well, joining in the fight to wrestle Keith down.

###### 

„Ow. What the hell…“ Lance groaned as he slowly came to. 

His body still felt numb, and he just closed his eyes for a few more minutes before he felt able to move and slowly sit up. 

„Hey, guys?“ he hesitantly asked into the darkness he was met with. 

He even checked his eyes and blinked a few times, but with closed as well as with open eyes, it was absolutely dark in this… wherever he was. 

„M’ere“ Pidge groaned softly and not far from him. 

„Pidge?“ Lance asked and slowly started to crawl in her direction, feeling the floor around him until his fingers brushed against something cold and what felt like glass. 

Her glasses.

A few gentle touches of orientation later and he found himself sitting near Pidge’s head. 

„What happened?“ she said and leaned into the touch, desperate to hold onto someone when they couldn’t even see each other. 

„We’ve been double crossed“ Lance only sighed. 

„Why does this keep happening to us?“ Pidge said and it almost sounded like a childish whine. 

„No idea, but it’s getting really annoying“ Lance chuckled and reached out until he could grasp her hand. 

„We need to find Shiro and Keith“ he then said and she squeezed his hand in agreement since he wasn’t able to see her nod. 

„Well, I for one am here" a faint and raspy voice could be heard from a bit further away. 

„Shiro!“ Pidge said in relief and slowly scooted over to him with Lance until they felt a leg. 

„Yeah, it’s me. Just... need a second“ Shiro said with a strained little chuckle and squeezed their shoulders hard as soon ad he had felt his way to them. 

„You okay?“ Lance asked worriedly at hearing how strained his words were.

„Will be. Just… my memories are toying with me and I have a horrible feeling of deja vu that messed with me for a bit“ Shiro admitted, and Lance put his hand over Shiro’s flesh one and gently squeezed it in understanding and comfort. 

„Where is Keith?“ Shiro then asked. 

„We all woke up pretty much at the same time, so he should be awake by now, too - right?“ Pidge stated her thoughts. 

„He should be by that logic“ Shiro said determined. 

„Okay, here’s what we are going to do: I think there is a wall behind me - Lance and I will crawl along it in opposite directions and see what kind of room we are in, and hope that Keith is in here with us and not… somewhere else“ he said, shuddering when he said the last part. 

„Okay, what about me?“ Pidge asked. 

„You are going to try to reach the Castle“ Shiro said and gently tapped on her armor where the wrist computer sat. 

Normally sat. 

„Can’t, they took our armor" she said. 

„Shit“ Lance cursed, only realizing now that they were only wearing their black undersuits. 

„But“, she then said, and her grin was audible when she next spoke, „I managed to contact Coran as soon as those guys pulled that blowpipes out. He could hear us, although we didn’t say anything, and I think he was just telling me that they were on their way to us when we got hit“ she explained. 

„Pidge, you have no idea how awesome you are“ Shiro said with a slightly more relaxed voice. 

„Okay, let’s start. Pidge, you can search the middle of the room, we can communicate just fine so we can meet up at some place again“ Shiro then said and they got to work. 

Slowly, Pidge, Shiro and Lance crawled through what they soon realized was a square cell, with approximately five meter long walls. 

Lance was just about to collide with Shiro again, hearing him shuffle closer by the second, when his fingers suddenly touched something wet. 

„Ew“ he just groaned and shook his fingers in an attempt to rid himself from whatever nasty fluid he had put his hand in. 

„Everything okay?“ Pidge asked him when she heard his mild distress. 

„Yeah, I just touched something wet and nasty“ Lance said, shrugged it off and continued crawling forward, holding his hand against the wall now instead of the ground to avoid touching whatever it was again. 

„Something wet?“ Shiro now asked, his tone a bit worried. 

„Yeah, it’s probably nothing. I think we're almo-“ Lance said, but then his voice suddenly died in his throat. 

He had touched something that was definitely not the wall anymore. 

„Lance?“ Shiro and Pidge called out at the same time, but a shocked gasp was the only answer they got from the Blue Paladin. 

„Lance, what is it?“ Shiro asked and now practically rushed forward to where he heard Lance’s voice coming from. 

„I… I think I found him“ Lance said with fear in his voice, just in the same moment when Shiro inhaled sharply. 

„I touched the wet stuff now, too“ he said in what sounded like shock. 

„Why is it there?“ Pidge asked, while Lance gently ran his fingers over the still figure that had to be their missing teammate. 

„Guys…“ Lance gasped again, just as Shiro smelled the substance he had touched. 

„ **Is that blood**?“ the Black Paladin asked, rubbing the substance between his index finger and his thumb. 

„Yes. And it’s coming f-from Keith“ Lance said shakily while his fingers traced over what he immediately identifies as Keith’s hair and face. 

„What?! Keith!“ Shiro immediately called out and scooted closer to them.

Pidge cursed and started to crawl directly into their direction. 

Shiro immediately felt around for his head, noticing how Keith indeed was wet or damp almost everywhere, and he practically shrieked at the stark contrast of warmth when his fingers brushed over Lance's fingers, but he managed to contain it. 

„Keith, hey! Wake up!“ Lance cried out and gently shook Keith’s shoulders. 

„What the hell happened to him? Why is he so injured while we were relatively unharmed?“ Lance now sobbed, the fear for his teammate and the lack of responsiveness from said teammate worrying him beyond believe. 

„Because… the darts didn’t affect me... so they took me out another way“ came a silent and hoarse answer, then a raspy inhale. 

„Keith!“ All three of them shouted out, and Pidge also reached Keith now, her searching hands feeling over what must be his legs. 

„Shit, Keith.. What did they do?“ Shiro asked and gently cupped his little brother’s face. 

„Uhm.. They had swords. And were… many. Outnumbered me“ Keith responded weakly and a bit delayed. 

„Fuck, you’re bleeding all over. Can you tell where you were hurt the worst?“ Shiro said, forcing himself to analyze the situation rather than collapsing and breaking down from fear and stress. 

No answer came. 

„Keith?! You still awake?“ Lance practically shouted near where Keith’s ear must be. 

„Hmmm? Sorry, what was it you wanted to know?“ he asked, and the others heard how he was clearly fighting a loosing battle against falling into unconsciousness. 

„Where does it hurt the worst?“ Pidge now said, as calm and gentle as she could. 

„…Leg. I think they cut to the bone there. And I’m pretty sure“ he began, but was interrupted by a harsh coughing fit, “I th-think they also stabbed me somewhere. And cuts“ he said weakly. 

He made a wet and rattling sound with his next inhale. 

„Shit, shit, shit! Okay, Pidge, find that leg wound, and Lance, you check his back“ Shiro ordered, and they got to work immediately. They traced their fingers over Keith’s body until they found the sources of the blood. 

Keith almost cried out in pain when Shiro brushed over the stab wound when he found it. It was on his side and bleeding harshly. 

„M' dizzy“ Keith suddenly whispered and Lance had barely enough time to catch him when he slid sideways along the wall he had been sitting up against. 

„No, no no no no no no! No passing out yet, got it?!“ Lance cried out while Keith was now laying halfway against him and halfway in his lap. 

„We need to bandage the wounds or else he is going to bleed out“ Shiro said with a strained voice, but before the others could ask him how, they heard the sounds of fabric being pulled apart. 

„Shiro, what are you doing?“ Lance asked, but Pidge was quicker to get it and answered for him. 

„He is making bandages from his suit’s fabric“ she said and tensed shortly when she felt stripes of fabric placed into her hands out of nowhere.

„Okay, get them tied around the wounds as tight as you can“ Shiro ordered and began to bandage Keith’s side while Pidge got to work at his leg. 

„Hey.. L’nce?“ Keith suddenly said. 

„What is it?“ Lance said, only halfway able to suppress the sob that escaped him. 

„It’s so cold… and everything is going numb“ he weakly admitted, barely loud enough for the rest of them to hear it. 

„Hey, no! Stay awake, please!“ Lance begged and immediately started to press Keith - now bandaged where it was worst - with his back against his own chest to try and provide some warmth. 

„Keith, hang on, please“ Shiro just begged him while he and Pidge continued searching for other injures. 

There were a few more cuts on his arms and legs, two so deep that they were also bandaged immediately. 

„Uhm… L’nce?“ Keith’s voice sounded again, even weaker than before, interrupting the heavy breathing and sniffles coming from the others. 

„Yeah, I’m here“ Lance just sobbed from where he said behind Keith and took his hand to grasp and squeeze it firmly. 

„I’m s’rry… I feel so tired. I don' think I c'n stay 'wake“ Keith said with a slurred voice. 

„No, hey buddy, no sleeping yet! You have to stay awake for us okay?“ Shiro now said, desperation laced deeply into his voice. 

„S’ro? You’re ...here?“ Keith just responded. 

„Yes, I’m here“ Shiro sobbed. 

„Me and Lance and Pidge“ he continued and cupped Keith’s cheeks while Pidge climbed up to his chest, mindful of his injuries but firm in her attempt to hug her teammate in comfort. 

„Oh. Hi. Couldn't see you. So many spots and it's kinda dark“ he just said and the others could feel their hears break at hearing how disoriented Keith sounded. 

He was already loosing bits of memory, but a gurgling sound from Keith that followed after he spoke only made things worse. 

They rushed to lay Keith on his side to make breathing and coughing easier and more berable for him. 

„Ow“ he only mumbled after he was done coughing and trying to catch his breath. 

„You okay again? Can you breathe?“ Shiro asked while he worriedly and gently rubbed over Keith’s back. 

He got no answer other than the wet and raspy breaths that Keith managed to make. 

„Just hang on.. The others are coming“ Pidge said with quivering lips. 

„And you can't just die now. There is so much I still want to experience with you“ Lance sobbed. 

„Like… what“ Keith asked while still gasping for air, thankful for someone to talk - to have something he could focus on. 

„Like saving the universe, winning the war, return to earth… g-go on a... a date, kiss y-you“ Lance sobbed, not caring how the others would react to this sudden statement. 

„A date?“ Shiro still asked, baffled, but then he chuckled. 

„And here you were fearing that he wouldn’t like you back“ he said to Keith with a forced smile. 

„What?“ is was now Lance’s turn to ask, and he looked at where Keith’s head had to be. 

"Huh?" Keith only asked as well.

"He's been drooling over you for an eternity now, just like you were over him. We all knew, but the only ones who didn't notice were you two oblivious messes" Pidge said with a watery chuckle. 

„Oh. I’d like going out on a date with you… a … l-lot actu-“ Keith said, but his voice suddenly grew weaker and weaker until it completely stopped. 

Shiro, Lance and Pidge felt with agonizing horror and even worse pain in their hearts how Keith’s body went completely limp. 

„No! Keith, Please! No“ Lance sobbed while Shiro and Pidge called out as well, desperately. 

„No, Keith, wake up“ Pidge also cried out and threw her arms around Keith’s waist once again, pressing her head into his side. 

„H-He still has a pulse. The others will get to us“ she just said, her voice muffled by Keith’s figure. 

„They’ll get to us. Any moment“ she sobbed with a broken voice, as if she had to convince herself to not completely loose it when her teammate was bleeding out right beneath her embrace. 

„Please hold on Keith“ Lance sobbed while tears rained down from his cheeks and fell onto Keith’s slack face. 

They all held onto Keith as much as they could, afraid that he would leave them forever any minute. 

„Wake up. Come back to us“ Shiro just whispered. 

Then, there was a loud explosion, and the next thing they all knew was white nothing.

###### 

„Ow. What was that?“ Pidge said silently, coming to as first. 

She didn't even have enough time to realize where she was before she was tackled in a giant bearlike hug by Hunk. 

„Hunk?“ she said and rubbed her eyes after he slowly and reluctantly let go of her again. 

„Hey Pidge. You can’t tell how happy I am to see you awake“ Hunk said while rubbing tears out of his own eyes. 

„What happened? And where are the others?“ she now asked, getting more frantic and desperate by the second. 

„Hunk, where is Keith!“ she practically yelled now and tried to stand up, but a wave of nausea hit her and forced her back into what she now realized was an infirmary bed. 

„You’re at the Castle, so are the others. Keith is in a pod. You will all be alright“ Hunk said, and his tone revealed that it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

„Hunk. What happened?“ she insisted while she took the time to discover her surroundings. 

She indeed was in the infirmary of the Castle of Lions. 

Lance and Shiro were seemingly sleeping on the two cots near her's and she could make out an activated pod at the other end of the room, Keith fitted inside and dressed in one of the white suits they required for healing. 

„We had to blast you out of that prison cell, that’s why you were all passed out when we found you. I… I thought you were all dead, there was so much blood everywhere but it took us almost to long to realize that it was only coming from Keith.. I rushed him here in Yellow while Allura got you three with one of the shuttles“ Hunk said and tears sprung into his eyes at that. 

„Thanks for getting to us“ Pidge said and tried to calm him by hugging him tightly this time. 

„If it had been two minutes later it would have been too late, Pidge“ Hunk sobbed, and she felt how tears ran down her cheeks at remembering the horrible experience. 

A groan suddenly sounded from her right, but before she even had a chance to look who of the two was waking up, Allura was at Shiro’s side. 

„Shiro?“ she asked gently before Shiro shot up to sit in an instant. 

Allura let out a surprised little squeak while Shiro only managed another groan, and if it hadn’t been for Allura he would have tilted to the side and fallen off the cot. 

„Wha... Keith - Keith!“ Shiro then exclaimed in panic after a few seconds of realizing that the others must have gotten them out. 

„He's in a pod, he will be okay“ Allura soothed him and caught him once again, in a hug this time, when Shiro sagged in relief. 

„Hey Shiro“ Pidge said to him and stood up on wobbly legs. She then walked over to Shiro’s cot where she crawled onto it and sat down near Shiro. 

„Hi Katie. I’m glad you’re ok“ he said and included her as well as Hunk into the hug with Allura. 

„Lance?“ Pidge just asked after a while, but when she looked over to the cot where Lance had been laying in she only found the bed empty. 

„Lance?!“ she called out in distress and worry, alarming the others and making them turn around to see the empty bed, too. 

Then, there was a thud near the pods, and when they looked over, they saw Coran, having caught Lance right on time before the Blue Paladin could fully smack into the floor or the pod he had rushed to. 

„Easy now, lad. He will be alright, just like you and the rest“ Coran soothed him and pressed him closer when he felt the relieved sobs that whacked through Lance’s body. 

They all carefully approached Lance, and soon, they were all huddled up in a giant group hug - Lance not being the only one who cried his eyes out. 

A short while after, Shiro and Pidge had to drag Lance to take a shower and to get cleaned from all the blood on them while Allura and Coran stayed behind to watch Keith. Hunk went to the kitchen to make them an easy meal, knowing that they would only eat it in the infirmary where they could be close to Keith. 

„We will be right back with him, don’t worry. How do you think he would react when he came out of the pod and saw you covered in blood?“ Shiro finally said, permanently silencing Lance’s protests that he wanted to stay in the infirmary until Keith woke up. 

„Fine“ Lance said and headed to his room. 

After what must have been the quickest shower in his life, he got dressed. Not caring about his wet hair, and made his way back to the infirmary as fast as he could. 

He noticed it immediately when he entered. 

„Keith“ he only managed to say, as softly as if he were afraid that the sound of his voice could break something if he spoke too loudly. 

He stood frozen in the doors of the infirmary and watched how Keith slowly opened his eyes, being held up by Allura who smiled at him as brightly and relieved as never before when she noticed him. 

„He just woke up“ Coran informed him when he noticed his presence, too. 

„Keith!“ Lance now shouted, and then, he was running. 

He almost crashed into Keith and tackled him to the ground, but he was able to stoop his momentum just enough to avoid falling over. 

Then for a moment he felt nothing other than Keith, who weakly returned his desperate hug. 

„Lance“ Keith croaked and shuddered when Lance responded with a gentle kiss to his forehead. 

„I’m here“ Lance then said and held Keith for what felt like forever. 

He only looked up when he felt Shiro run up to them and embrace Keith, too, as well as Pidge sometime after, pressing her also wet hair against their sides while she sobbed in relief. 

"I'm so glad to see you" Keith only sobbed before he collapsed to his knees, still drained from healing, the blood loss and the overwhelming feeling that they were save. 

"We made it. But shit, never scare us like that again" Shiro just chuckled happily. 

"And you owe me a date" Lance then said and looked Keith in his eyes. 

"Gladly" Keith said and pressed Lance harder against him. 

"Have they finally realized it?" Allura chuckled gently, addressing Pidge. 

"Yeah" she just sighed while she and the others gave them a moment of privacy. 

"I'm glad you're okay" Lance whispered. 

"I'm glad, too. I would have hated missing out on this" Keith just replied and leaned in to finally kiss Lance.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!
> 
> As always, I would be **really grateful for a comment** \- they are the only real measurement an author can get about how you really find their work!
> 
> Stay tuned for the next prompt! _(it might take a day or two longer this time again - sorry!)_


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